Oil-well-derrick brace



,se i. 28,1926. 1,601,386

- A. L. aowzas OIL WELL DERRICK BRACE Filed July 5. 1923 @L-BOZ B Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES am-es PATENT o Eric E.

.ARLAN L. BOWERS, F BRISTOW, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK MQIMAHAN,

EARNEST.1VIoGAB/TY.AND CARL H. W'ESSE, ALL OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

OIL-WELL-DER-RICK BRACE.

Application filed July 5,

This invention relates to improvements in derrick constructions, having for an object to provide a novel and efiicient form of girths and bracket plates for those forms of derricks commonly used in the. drilling of oil, gas, and artesian wells, whereby the sections of the legs thereof will be firmly and securely held in assembled relation and braced against twisting or buckling with the application of weight or stress thereto.

It is likewise an object of the invention to provide a bracket plate of the character mentioned so constructed as will permit the bracing of the leg sections in their longitudinal alignment during building of the derrick and then firmly lock the samein their assembled relation, means being included in the brace for permitting of the connection of girths and struts thereto.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a girth for bracing the derrick legs, whose construction is such as will permit its engagement with the bracket plates subsequently to the oining of the leg sections and which may be securely locked in such ongagement with the brace whereby to effectually brace the legs and to prevent accidental displacement of the same.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

' In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrativev drawings, and in the detailed following description based thereon, set out one possible embodiment of the same. In these drawings:v

Figure 1 is a fragmentary detail in side elevation showing several of the angle bracket plates and connection of a girth and struts thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary de tail in elevation showing the manner in which the ends of the girths are connected to the angle bracket plates .and likewise, the manner of connecting the ends of the adjustable struts thereto Figure 3 is a detail in perspective of the improved angle bracket plates; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail in perspective of one of the'flattened ends of the improved girth showing the formation of the downwardly opening bayonet slots therein.

Having more particular reference to the 1923. Serial No. 649,744.

drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, the invention may be stated to comprise a rightangularly formed metal bracket plate, indicated in its entirety, by the numeral 1, said plate having a plurality of holes inzthe lower portions of the several sides thereof, .as indicated by the numeral 2, while right angular slots 3 and 4. are formed in the corner portion of the upper and lower ends of said plate, as shown in the Figure 3, andare disposed transversely of the several sides thereof. Other transversely disposed marginally opening slots 5 are formed in the in tel-mediate portions of the several sides of the bracket plate 1 and as will be noted, have their outer extremities slightly enlarged as indicated at 6, whereby to facilitate the engagement of their bolts therein. These slots 5, as will be noted, extend approximately midway throughout the width of the several sides of the bracket plate 1.

Girths, one of which is herein shown and indicated by the numeral 7, are provided, each thereof comprising a rod having the opposite extremities of the same flattened, as indicated at 8, and provided with transversely disposed downwardly opening bayonet slots 9. These girths 7, as will be understood, may differ slightly in length to correspond to the converging formation of a derrick upon which they are used.

In use of the invention, the angle metal bracket plates 1 are arranged over certain of thesides of the derrick leg sections, indicated herein by the numeral 10, said plates being arranged directly adjacent the point of jointure between the leg sections and having their lower portions secured to the adjacent end of the lower leg section ;by passing bolts 11 and 12 through the same and the adjacent portions of said lower leg sections. The lower bolts 11 are positively or tightly connected, while the upper bolts 12, which as will be noted are arranged in pairs, are permitted to remain loose for a while. lVitli the bracket plates so secured to the upper ends of the lower leg sections, the lower ends of the upper leg sections are swung into engagement with the upper portions of said bracket plates so as to be snugly engaged thereby. Previous to engagement of the lower ends of the upper leg section 10 in the upper portions of the bracket plates 1, bolts 13 are passed transversely through the same and have the head portions thereof extended suliiciently to permit of their slidable engagement in the transversely disposed way or slots 5, the heads readily entering the slots from the enlarged end portions 6 thereof opening onto the respective marginal portions of the several sides of the bracket plates.

Prior to the engaging of the lower ends of the upper leg sections 10 with the upper portions of the bracket plate 1, however, the girths 7 are connected, being disposed transversely between the leg sections of the derrick and'having the bayonet slots 9 formed in the flattened opposite ends thereof engaged over the extended portions of the loose bolts 12, whereupon said bolts 12 are tightened to positively effect connection as between the flattened ends of the girths 7 and the several angle bracket plates 1. At this time, the lower ends of the upper leg sections are swung into engagement with the upper portions of the bracket plates 1, the bolts 13 slidably passing into engagement with the slots 5 and being finally arranged directly adjacent the upper marginal portions of the flattened end 8 of the girth 7. Thus, because of the arrangement of the extended portions of the bolts 18 with the upper marginal portions of the flattened end 8 of the girth 7 it will be understood that said girth will be positively prevented from having material vertical movement with respect to the bolts 12 subsequently to tightening of the same and hence, a positive bracing con nection will be had between the leg sections.

Sectional or adjustable struts 1 1 having turnbuckles indicated at 15 interposed therein are likewise employed in connection with the angle bracket plates and have their inner ends hooked as indicated in dotted lines at 16 in the Figure 2, whereby they may be engaged in the extremities of the right angularly formed corner slots 3 in the upper and lower ends in the angle metal bracket plates 1 and then extend between the various legs of the derrick, whereby to truss the same suiiiciently to enable them to withstand such stress or twisting movement as may be imparted'thereto with the application of load or weight to the derrick.

By arranging the corner slots 3, as shown herein, it will be understood that a positive and durable connection as between the plates 1 and the various struts is will be provided, the pulling of the hooked ends 16 of such struts through said plates being prevented by reason of the material span of metal as between the extremities of the corner slots and the opposite marginal portions of the sides of the bracket plates. Furthermore, the bracket plates will be more positively engaged with the adjacent ends of the leg sections 10, since the point of stress thereupon will occur directly adjacent the outer corners of the timbers making up the leg sections.

It is to be furthermore understood that because of the engagement of the extended portions of the bolts 12 in the lateral off-set portions of the bayonet slots 9 in the flattened end portions 8 of the girths 7, that liability of vertical movement of saidfiattened ends 8 with respect to the bolts, prior to tightening of the same and especially after tightening thereof will be avoided.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification, as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A derrick assembly including incombination derrick leg sections, angle plates secured to the upper ends of lower leg sections and projecting thereabove, girths, means for detachably fastening the girths to the plates, means carried by the lower ends of the upper leg sections and engageable with the plates laterally of the edge portions thereof for locking the leg sections and the girths against relative vertical movement.

2. A derrick assembly including in combination, superposed derrick leg sections, angle plates secured to one of said leg sections and projecting over and lying against the adjacent leg section, girths detachably secured to the plates, means carried by the leg sections adjacent the projecting portions of the plates and engageable with the plates laterally of the vertical edge portions thereof for locking the leg sections and the girths against relative vertical movement.

3. A derrick assembly including in combination, superposed derrick leg sections, angle plates secured to the upper portions of the lower leg sections and projecting thereabove, the upper portions of the plates being provided at their vertical edge portions with inwardly extending lateral slots, tachably fastened to the plates, the upper edges of the girths being arranged flush with the lower surfaces of the slots, and headed fasteners carried by the lower portions of the upper leg sections for engagement with the slots and girths for locking the parts against relative vertical movement.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARLAN L. BowEns.

girths de- 

